I have known Nolan’s mom, Hailie, for a few years now. Her brother is married to my cousin and I have been lucky enough to be present all three births for that part of the family. So I was beyond excited when Hailie wanted me at Nolan’s birth. As a photographer, it is so wonderful to know you are walking into a place where they make you feel like you are part of the family. The day was long for Hailie. Nolan is her first baby and than comes with so many uncertainties. You never know what labor is going to actually feel like, how long it will last, or what to expect for any piece of it. She was a true champion. This post is just a small snippet of the story from that day.

Haylen's birth had been anticipated for a very long time. When I first met Tasha it was evident that she couldn't wait to be a mom. It was a long journey to getting pregnant and she and her husband, Chris, were both ecstatic to be expecting a baby. The day we knew she was finally coming was exciting. I know I say how much I love spending time with all of the families I photograph but I can't say enough about how kind and sweet this family was to me. They welcomed me into their space and made me one of them. It was an incredible day witnessing this sweet girl make her entrance. I had a hard time narrowing down images so what you see here is only a small portion of their story.

Birth is so unpredictable. And sometimes very fast. This was the case for Parker's birth. I walked into the house about 15 minutes after he had been born. We were all in shock at exactly how fast it went! This little boy was born on a beautiful February day. It was around 60 degrees outside and sunny. He had 3 older brothers waiting to meet him. It was such a special day. I enjoyed so much working with this family. They were so welcoming and honestly, just a joy.

When I got a text message last May asking if I had any births on the calendar for the end of January I was immediately excited. Not only was the text from my cousin but this would be the third baby I would have the chance to photograph for her. Another fun fact about this family is that baby Jack shares a birthday with his mama! I love photographing this sweet family and all 3 of their boys!

When you plan a maternity session for January you plan to be cold. Thankfully we found the one warm day in January for this one! Aside from the wind, it was a beautiful afternoon for pictures. More beautiful than the January weather though is this mama. She is carrying her little girl so gracefully and beautifully. The next time I see them will be to meet this sweet baby girl!

I have known Jacob's parents for several years. His dad was a groomsman in our wedding! I was so excited that it was going to work for me to be able to drive down for his birth. They live about 2 hours away and I was so nervous that I might miss it. As soon as we knew that things were starting I went ahead and headed their way. It was such a fun day. There were grandmas, grandpas ,aunts, uncles, and cousins hanging out at the hospital. I love when babies are welcomed by a big extended family. This was my last baby of 2017 and it was the perfect way to end the year.

Miles' story is one that I don't think I will ever forget. The biggest reason being, he was born on Christmas Eve. Due to other health issues his mama was set to be induced. The evening she went in she had started running a fever. The induction was pushed back a few days to make sure everyone was perfectly healthy before meeting a new baby. This ended up meaning he would be born on Christmas Eve. The induction was started and things took off on their own. Progress was being made and it was pretty clear that Miles would be making his appearance sooner rather than later. Around the time that we all thought pushing would begin, mama started running a fever. after a few hours of antibiotics, contractions that slowed to a standstill, and a baby that didn't want to move down any more, the decision was made to move to a c-section. Thankfully, Miles was doing fantastically and this was not an emergent situation. Baby Miles arrived healthy and hungry!

Spending Christmas welcoming a new baby is one of the most special Christmas experiences that I have ever had. I'm so happy that I was able to help welcome this sweet boy.